SEC Form 4
FORM 4 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Whitt Richard R III

(Last) (First) (Middle)
C/O MARKEL CORPORATION
4521 HIGHWOODS PARKWAY

(Street)
GLEN ALLEN VA 23060

(City) (State) (Zip)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
MARKEL CORP [ MKL ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
Director 10% Owner
X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below)
President & Co-COO
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
12/01/2010
4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
X Form filed by One Reporting Person
Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 12/01/2010 F 118 D $353.435 8,188.7496(1) D
Common Stock 1,885.554 I 401(K) Plan(2)
Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year) 7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Explanation of Responses:
1. Includes 2,780 Restricted Stock Units awarded pursuant to the Markel Corporation Omnibus Incentive Plan. Subject to certain conditions, twenty percent of the restricted stock units will vest on May 10, 2011, and the balance will vest on May 10, 2015. The total also includes 2,568 other restricted stock units granted pursuant to the Markel Corporation Omnibus Incentive Plan, of which 1,204 units will vest on December 31, 2011 and 1,364 units will vest on December 31, 2012.
2. Holdings under the Markel Corporation 401(K) Plan are reported in units. The information reported herein is based on a plan statement dated as of September 30, 2010 and utilizes the closing stock price on that date of $344.59. As of September 30, 2010, a unit under the Plan represented one share of Common Stock.
/s/ Linda S. Rotz, Attorney-in-fact for Richard R. Whitt, III 12/03/2010
** Signature of Reporting Person Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
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